Adaptive control of a concentrated solar power plant

Abstract

A solar-fossil-fuel hybrid power plant is controlled using thermal energy processing component thermal inertia characteristic data and atmospheric condition prediction information to adjust plant operations at a point in time that enables the plant to operate within a predetermined requirement when the plant experiences the predicted atmospheric condition.

1 . A method of controlling a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, the method comprising:
 storing a thermal inertia characteristic relating to each of a plurality of thermal energy processing components used in the CSP plant in a database;   receiving atmospheric condition prediction information relating to an atmospheric event, the atmospheric condition prediction information indicating that at least one of the plurality of thermal energy processing components requires adjustment such that the CSP plant performs within pre-determined requirements during the atmospheric event;   retrieving a thermal inertia characteristic relating to the at least one of the plurality of thermal energy processing components from the database; and   causing the at least one of the plurality of thermal energy processing components to be adjusted based on the retrieved thermal inertia characteristic at a point in time that enables the CSP plant to operate within the pre-determined requirements during the atmospheric event.